In this day in age it easier than ever for a kid to get into all types of trouble in some ways and than it used to be. The advent of the internet has presented children and teens with all types of different avenues to get into mischief. If a parent is vigilant, however, the internet can be a good way to monitor the behavior of their child as well. Many kids stay inside the house a lot more these days, with video games, computers and televisions being their main sources of entertainment. One would think that because their child is inside their home, they would not have as much access to ways to get it into trouble, but one can look up all sorts of thing on line and there are even predators who stalk children through the internet.
Social Networking
Social networking can be a good way to connect with long lost friends and also a good way for kids to connect with people that are probably not going to be the best influences on them. If a teen is using drugs, there are ways that they can find people in their area through different forums and other social networking tools that will sell them drugs in their area. If the teen really knows what they are doing, they can pretty much find any drug that they want through the internet. This is a very scary thought, but one that parents need to realize can be a real possibility. But on the flip side of this coin, the computer can also be a good way for a parent to monitor their child and see if there might be things that the child is doing that the parents did not realize. It is a good thing for a parent to become educated on how to check internet history. If a child is very talented on the computer and knows how to erase the internet history, there are different types of software available that can retrieve an erased history. A person can find them online or in a software store. One should be careful about getting them online however, because some software online can have viruses in it. Make sure that it is coming from a reputable source.
Facebook, My Space and Twitter
The main social networking sites are where many kids spend a lot of their time on the net these days. There are plenty of kids who have Facebook accounts, Twitter accounts and even My Space accounts, although My Space has been losing popularity recently. If a child has an account like this, it is really up to the parent to ensure the child’s safety. A child can get connected with people on these sights and because they are social forums, the child can even be peer pressured on them, even though it is through the computer. On Facebook and My Space for instance, people put up personal profiles of themselves with personal information and often times people will put up lots of pictures as well. It is a good way for people to send pictures to family or friends that are far away, but it can also be a way that teens and kids can be influenced. The pictures that people put up often have shots of the person at parties and doing all types of things. It is not unreasonable to think that teens and kids can be influenced by the images that they see on people’s profiles, the same way that they are influenced by images that they see in the media. A child could be looking through an older person’s profile and see them doing all type of fun looking activities and while doing those activities the person may be drinking and that may be captured on camera. There are a lot of pictures on Facebook. Alcohol, drugs and cigarettes are in a lot of these different pictures that people have. It is almost like free advertising for alcohol companies. When a child sees these pictures it could make them want to drink because it might look like fun and it might also give the impression that a lot of people are doing this type of thing all the time. Parents really need to be sure to check and see what type of friends their child has on these social forums.
Parental Supervision
If your child asks you for permission to get a Facebook or other social networking account, it is a good idea to set up some rules and boundaries in regards to these sites from the get go. Parents need to insist that they have access to their child’s account at all times and not take no for an answer. It is also a good idea to help your child set up the security settings on these sights so that everyone that goes on them does not have a way to find and access your child’s information. If a parent is not familiar with how these settings work, they should ask someone else for advice about it. Once this is done and the teen starts using their account, it is good to go on about once or twice a week, or even everyday if necessary and see what the child is doing, who they are talking to and what they are talking about. It is a good window into the teen’s world and one good way to see what they are up to. You can tell your child that you are doing this, but if you don’t they may be more likely to be more open with what they are doing. That is why it is always important to make sure that you are there when your child sets up their account so that you can write down their password and see what they are up to at a later date. There have been a few parents who were able to catch on to the fact that their child was using drugs or alcohol from this method.
Narconon Program
If a parent does come across activities on their child’s computer that leads them to believe that their child is using drugs or alcohol, parents can always call a Narconon Program including Narconon Vista Bay center for advice twenty four hours a day seven days a week. There are always counselors willing to answer questions and Narconon has some of the best drug education resources available for kids, parents and teachers these days.
